I. Field
The present invention relates generally to transportation and delivery systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a valve for use with a vehicle transporting hazardous materials when a hazard event is detected.
II. Description of the Related Art
Advances in technology have provided for increased automation in many industries. For example, in the trucking industry, technology has allowed for the shipment and delivery of cargo virtually around the clock. Vehicles now carry and deliver cargo to all parts of the country. For example, cargo-carrying tractor-trailers may be driven hundreds or thousands of miles to reach a delivery site.
Typically, cargo is loaded into a trailer portion of a tractor-trailer vehicle and driven from point to point along a delivery route by a vehicle operator. Along the delivery route, intermediate stops may occur where portions of the cargo are unloaded for delivery or where new cargo is picked up. To facilitate efficient routing, sometimes a trailer is detached from its current tractor and left at a designated location for pickup by another tractor. The trailer may sit at this intermediate location for various lengths of time while waiting to be retrieved by another tractor. This detachable trailer arrangement allows shippers to plan the most efficient and cost effective routes for the delivery of the cargo. In some cases, the trailer acts as a storage container to store the cargo for an extended period of time.
Generally speaking, the vast majority of cargo carried by the trucking industry represents food or other consumer goods that do not pose a danger to the public during transportation. However, the trucking industry also transports hazardous materials (HAZMAT) that may pose a threat to the general public or the environment. For example, materials such as fuels, chemicals, oil, waste materials, or other hazardous materials may pose a serious risk to the public in the event of a vehicle accident, malfunction, or hijacking. For example, if a truck carrying a cargo of dangerous chemicals is involved in an accident, leakage of the chemicals may endanger lives or pose a serious risk to the environment.
Another problem facing the transportation industry is the threat of theft or hijacking to steal hazardous cargo from vehicles during transport. While cargo doors may be locked using conventional locking devices, they are typically easily defeated by the use of bolt cutters or other means to destroy the locking mechanisms. In the case of hazardous liquids or gases, however, it may be easy for thieves to stop a vehicle and to release hazardous liquids or gases into the environment, or into another container for later use by the thieves.
Therefore, what is needed is a system for controlling a hazardous material valve on a vehicle in the event of an accident, vehicle malfunction, or theft. It would be ideal to have such a control system operate without user intervention.